The opening of ITF Dialog-Wrocław: Alain Platel with Polish brass band conducted by Alan Urbanek

“En, avant marche!” directed by the outstanding Belgian choreographer Alain Platel and Frank Van Laecke, featuring the Polish orchestra conducted by Alan Urbanek will open the 9th edition of the International Theater Festival Dialog-Wroclaw on Saturday, October 14th. It is going to be also a farewell to the performance presented on the most famous stages in Europe. The programme also includes Ivo van Hove’s “Kings of War”, Alain Platel’s “nicht schlafen”, and “MDLSX” from the Italian collective MOTUS. On WspieramKulturę.pl the fundrising for three polish performances („An Enemy of the People“ directed by Jan Klata, “One gesture” directed by Wojtek Ziemilski, “Hymn to Love” directed by Marta Górnicka), which will have a chance to return to the original Festival programme, is still underway. As a part of the accompanying events the audience will also see “The Curse,” directed by Olivier Frljic and “Macbeth” directed by Agata Duda – Gracz, as well as the sensual installation of IP Group. ITF Dialog – Wroclaw will last till October 21st. Tickets on sale.

This year’s edition of the one of the most important cultural events in the country is accompanied by the slogan: Onwards! But where to? – We will try to answer the question, where leads the march, in which whether we want or not, we participate – explains Tomasz Kireńczuk, Programme Director of Dialog Festival.

The principle of presenting the performance “En, avant marche!” has always been a selection of a local music group depending on the place of the show. During the 9th edition of the Dialog-Wroclaw Festival we will see the performance for the very last time, but for the first time Polish artists from Wroclaw, Warsaw, Katowice and Cracow will be in the cast. The brass band completed by Alan Urbanek will perform a number of music pieces conducted by Steven Prengels – the composer and music director of the Belgian theater les ballets C de la B, and will also play roles created especially for the musicians trained over the last few months. The performance “En, avant marche!” will take place on October 14th and 15th at 20:00 on the stage of the Polish Theater on Zapolskiej 3 Str. Tickets on sale.

Till October 17th lasts a crowdfunding campaign organized by Kultura Niepodległa on WspieramKulture.pl to rescue the three Polish performances: Marta Górnicka’s “Hymn to Love”, Wojtek Ziemilski’s “One gesture” and Jan Klata’s “An Enemy of the People”. So far, 412 people have supported the campaign. Donations for the festival were made by: Goethe-Institut (€ 10,000 for the presentation of the performance “Hymn to Love”) and Maxim Gorki Theater (€ 5,000). Declarations of financial support were also made by les ballets C de la B and Toneelgroep Amsterdam. Gifts for the fundraising were given by: Jacek Hugo-Bader, Michał Rusinek, Olga Tokarczuk, Maria Janion, Borys Lankosz, Opener Festival’s organizer – Alter-Art and Gutek Film. There is still missing over 60.000 zł of the total amount – 200.600 zł. In case of successful fundraising, all three performances will be showed at an unchanged date and place, except for “an Enemy of the People”, which will be played in Cracow. The organizer provides free shuttle bus transportation. More information: industry@dialogfestival.pl and www.dialogfestival.pl. On Friday, October 13th, Festival Dialog – Wroclaw will present an update of the rescue plan for the presentation of Polish performances.

Brought to life by Krystyna Meissner Dialog Festival will become a space for free exchange of views and discussions. Debates will be an opportunity to talk about the programming of cultural institutions in times of crisis, and will also concern the situation of a theater in Poland as well as the issues of the political theater and theater becoming politically dependent – We will deliberate why the theater recently became a target of political and ideological attack – says Kireńczuk. Among the participants of the debate are prominent artists and commentators of theatrical life in Poland, including Dariusz Kosiński, Anna R. Burzyńska, Edwin Bendyk, Marta Górnicka and Paweł Łysak, as well as foreign guests – Matthias Lilienthal, Jens Hillje, Goran Injac, Selma Spahić and Wouter van Ransbeek. Free admission.

Performances of the main section will be accompanied by meetings with the creators. With outstanding choreographer and director Alain Platel we will talk about performances “En avant, marche!” and “nicht schlafen”. Jan Klata will be the guest of the meeting related to the show “an Enemy of the People”.
Furthermore “MDLSX” will become an opportunity to discuss the need to define ones identity with Kazimiera Szczuka and the artists of the Italian collective MOTUS. On the meeting about “One gesture” Wojciech Ziemilski will bring up the topic why more and more people and groups are on the margin of social life.
The “Hymn to love” will be an opportunity to discuss a nationalism and the progressive division of Europe. Meeting with Jacek Żakowski and Marta Górnicka, as well as the other meetings, will be led by Tomasz Kireńczuk. Free admission.

This year’s edition of the festival is also an opportunity to listen to the lecture by Richard Schechner – one of the most important creators of the 20th century experimental theater and to admire the exhibition of winners and participants of the 2nd edition of The Theatre Photography Competition organized by The Zbigniew Raszewski Institute in Warsaw. As part of the accompanying events we will see “Macbeth” by Musical Theater Capitol, directed by Agata Duda-Gracz, with Caesar Studniak and Magda Kumorek performing, as well as “Crown Shyness” – a sensual installation by IP Group, which will raise an important question about how the way of experiencing the world changes today.

The audience of this year’s edition will also be able to see “The Curse” directed by Olivier Frljic from The Zygmunt Hübner Powszechny Theatre in Warsaw. – This is one of the most important performances that have been made in Polish theater in recent years. One of these performances, which remains in the memory for a long time, forcing us to confront uncomfortable questions and truths that we may prefer not to perceive on a daily basis – comments Kireńczuk. “The Curse” is financed entirely by the private funds of the festival. Tickets sold out.